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Motherhood, Sponsored, Things to do
Birthday Dinner at Chuck E. Cheese’s
- 4:19 pm
- 0 comments
- by Adanna Dill
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Chuck E. Cheese’s. The opinions and text are all mine.

This week was my daughter’s birthday and we celebrated in a BIG way! We made everything about her for four entire days. As I shared earlier this week, she attended a movie premiere which was epic in itself but she also got to go shopping for roller blades, her birthday wish gift and had a cupcake party with her classmates. You would think that would be enough turn up for my little girl but nope. As if they could hear her wondering what’s next in the birthday celebration lineup, Chuck E. Cheese’s reached out and invited her to come in for dinner and play. She was ridiculously happy when we received the invitation as she loves attending birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese’s and I thought it would be a great way for her to spend some special bonding time with her brother now that they’re back to school and busy.

As a mom, I’ve never really considered taking the kids to dinner at Chuck E. Cheese’s but it turned out to be a great idea. Firstly, we were starving and frankly I was a bit nervous about the food but I quickly found out that Chuck E. Cheese’s have really good quality food menu options like gluten-free pizza, a salad bar, and specialty pizzas. We decided on a handmade specialty pizza and then struggled on choosing toppings that we would all enjoy eventually settling on the Super Combo pizza.

The kids then went off to play and of course, nothing makes the wait for food easier than play, play, play.

Once our food arrived we got the little ones back to the table to chow down. The pizza was really yummy and my son warned us a few times that if we didnt watch out, he would eat all of it. Seriously though, the ingredients were fresh and I love that they used 100% mozzarella cheese.

Although, homework was waiting at home for the birthday girl, I let her play some more after dinner and then they traded in their tokens for some cool prizes. We had a really fun time and even took some pizza home with us.

While we were there, I learned that starting next week October 1st, their Mac Cheesy Pizza will be back until the end of the year. Also, if you’re more of a lunch lover Chuck E. Cheese’s have an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at some of their locations.

Have you ever taken your kids on a birthday dinner date to Chuck E. Cheese’s?
Activities, Motherhood, Sponsored
5 Reasons My Kids are Thriving at Goldfish Swim School
- 9:42 am
- 0 comments
- by Adanna Dill
I partnered with Goldfish Swim School in Garden City, NY for this post. As usual, all opinions are my own.

Could you believe it’s been three months since my kids started taking swimming lessons at Goldfish Swim School? They’ve both improved so much in that time frame that it feels more like five months. Both kids are swimming now and they’re much more confident. I wanted to share a five reasons why I believe my are thriving at Goldfish Swim School:

1. Small Class Sizes

My daughter who was enrolled in another swim school before and didn’t learn to swim can now swim. It makes me so happy to see how proud she is of herself. I can tell that the number one reason she’s been doing so well is the very small class size. Not only does her classes usually have 2-3 kids (Goldfish Swim School class sizes are 4 kids maximum) her instructors have gone above and beyond to build her confidence and give her individual instruction whenever she needs it. As a matter of fact, she’s received individual attention a few times to practice or sharpen up on a technique. All kids are different and progress at their own pace so I love that the instructors are patient enough to work with kids to get them past those weaknesses.

2. Positive Reinforcement and Confidence Building

Talking about kids with different personalities, my son who is taking swimming lessons for the first time is now able to swim up to 5 feet by himself. I love to see his energy in the water and his excitement whenever he receives a ribbon for an accomplishment. His confidence isn’t just about his swimming skills but socially I’ve noticed that my usually shy boy loves swimming so much that he’s willing to step out of his comfort zone and volunteer during class.

3. Perfect Temperature Pool Area

Actually, those of you who follow my Instagram stories and watch the clips I post of the kids classes have seen the kids progression over the past three months. Although initially, I was going to just have them take the classes during the summer they’ve thriving so much at Goldfish Swim School that we’re going to be continuing through the school year. They both still have a great deal to learn to become stronger swimmers and it’s important to my husband and I that they don’t lose the gains they’ve made in the past three months. Initially, I was concerned about them taking swimming classes during the cold New York fall and winter months but after taking them to their classes I know that the pool area is always 90 degrees and they will be very comfortable.

4. Simple Rescheduling

Another concern was with the baby coming, our family’s schedule may have to change a bit to accommodate her arrival. I’m not worried though because they allow you to make up for missed classes or to change your child’s class schedule whenever you need to. Just this week we had to reschedule a class and they were very accommodating.

5. Family Swim Hours

The kids love their swimming classes so much that they always ask if they could go twice a week instead of once. During the summer we were able to advantage of the family swim hours which they loved and we’re looking forward to working it into our schedule again as we get settled into the school year.

I’m really looking forward to watching my kids continue to develop their swimming skills. My daughter’s already learning a new swimming style, the backstroke. I’m really happy that they’re learning this important life skill and to see them enjoying it in the process is fantastic.

ps: Whenever, I share the kids progress on social media moms always ask about Goldfish Swim Schools locations. As I mentioned above, we attend classes in their Garden City, NY facility (it’s about a 20 minute drive from our home in Queens, NY without traffic) but if you’re not in our area, you can look for a location closer to you here.

What helped your kids to improve their swimming skills?

Want to know more about Goldfish Swim School? Check out my other posts:

Learning to Swim at Goldfish Swim School

Celebrating Progress at Goldfish Swim School
Baby, Kids Fashion, Motherhood, New Born, New Mom, Pregnancy, Sponsored
How to Dress a Newborn in the Fall
- 11:30 pm
- 2 Comments
- by Adanna Dill
I partnered with Kmart for this sponsored post. As usual, all opinions are my own.

I’m really impressed that I was able to keep the big secret of our baby’s gender this long and now that everyone knows that we’re having a baby girl you wouldn’t be able to stop me from talking about her. We’re all excited (although my son took a while to warm up to the idea of another sister) but with fall here we’re nesting and preparing for her arrival. Preparing for her arrival means lots of clothes shopping because this little lady will have style. Now, I hate to admit it but my idea of newborn baby girl style seven years ago with my first was not practical. I remember bringing three outfits to the hospital because I couldn’t decide what to take her home in and I wanted her to look fancy, prom fancy. When my nurse gave the dress I pulled out the side eye I knew I had a great deal to learn. That’s why I love sharing my journey because I know there is another mom having a baby with no idea how to dress a newborn in the fall so here are a few tips to help:

Stick to lightweight breathable materials.

Now that I’ve had the experience dressing two newborns in the fall, the first thing I reach for is lightweight breathable materials. I’ve learned that babies get warm quickly so it’s important to layer them up in lightweight breathable pieces. The new Spencer by Jaclyn Smith layette collection a Kmart-exclusive line made of really soft cotton with the most adorable designs is perfect for fall. The pieces that I’ve gotten for my baby girl from the collection so far are whimsical and feature pretty florals and fun artwork designs. I’m also a huge fan of the color palette which is subtle and modern.

Go for simple statement pieces.

During the fall, my baby girl will still be stylish in statement sweaters like this adorable one from the same collection. Don’t judge me but I really wish this was in my size too, I mean that fox is too cute and I love that it matches perfectly with my fall bomber jacket. I’m excited to coordinate outfits with my two little girls and I love that this collection will make that really easy for us. I mean we may leave the hospital twinning, just don’t tell the nurses.

Invest in must-have pieces

You’re going to want to listen to this bit of advice if you’re a first-time mom. Be sure to buy enough essential daily clothing pieces for your baby like sleep suits, bodysuits, hats, and bibs. You wouldn’t believe how quickly these would need to be changed and you don’t ever want to run out of clean clothes for your baby especially with the colder temperatures.

Dress your baby in the correct size.

If you want your baby to be comfortable during the fall, pay attention to the sizing on the clothes and dress your baby accordingly. Dressing your baby in clothing that’s too big or too small may be uncomfortable and make your child fussy. Remember that sometimes babies move up in sizes prior to getting to the age on the tags. My older daughter was wearing size 3-6 months when she was only 2 months old as she was a tall baby.

So there you have it, I hope these tips help you dress your baby this fall. I’m really excited to share my new journey as a mom of three with all of you. Of course, you can follow my Instagram stories to see my baby girl’s outfits of the day when she gets here, she will definitely be wearing her Spencer by Jaclyn Smith pieces. The line isn’t just for girls, so if you’re having a boy or looking for gender-neutral options you can see them here – all budget-friendly ranging from $19.99 to $29.99. These sets make the perfect gifts and they come beautifully packaged with the line’s signature fox ribbons so you can use them as baby shower gifts or sibling gifts which is how I plan to use them. I’m a lover of details so the beautiful message on the gift box tags “There is nothing on earth as life changing as parenting” is the perfect message for new or veteran parents.

What are your tips for dressing a newborn in the fall?

Giveaway

Excited to try the Spencer by Jaclyn Smith line? I’ve partnered with Kmart to host a giveaway for one lucky Rattles and Heels reader will win a $100 Kmart gift card. You can enter below. Good luck!

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